Instead it had a cartoon character on the dial — the white-gloved hands of Mickey Mouse cheerfully pointing to the time of day. The official Disney watch was presented to him on visiting the US in when, as a lifelong Walt Disney fan, he insisted on visiting the park. His prized wristwatch stopped in , creating panic in the Imperial Court, and it was rushed to Tokyo experts specialising in American timepieces.
This event was of such grave concern to both Hirohito and the people of Japan that it was even reported in Time magazine. Luckily, the watch only needed a new battery. Needless to say this playful wristwear was in stark contrast with his public reputation. Hirohito led an exalted life with a stature we can hardly comprehend in the 21st century.
When Hirohito died in , he was buried with his most treasured possessions. This included his Mickey Mouse watch along with a microscope he used for marine biology — the subject he harboured a lifelong passion for.
Posthumously known as Emperor Showa, he was commemorated Friday in a state funeral in Tokyo attended by representatives of countries, including President Bush. Later the same day, he was entombed in the Musashi Imperial Cemetery, a wooded enclave in these foothills about 30 miles west of Tokyo.
Only palace officials and members of the imperial family took part in the entombment ceremony, deeply steeped in ancient Shinto rites and carried out to the strains of classical court music from wind instruments and gongs. One young rightist wore a headband with a red rising sun in the style of World War II kamikaze pilots who flew suicide missions in the name of the emperor. Another mourner, year-old Masae Yamamoto, said he came from Tokyo with mixed feelings.
It will be covered in stone and landscaped over the next year. Many visitors took photographs of the tomb and surrounding hills.
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